Big problem with my newly purchased mallard ducks.

[cskotek]

Hmm, maybe he means not directly in the coop like having a giant square frame and have netting and mesh around it with a man door while the coops inside, like how some chicken coops are?

 

[Koipondduck]

Miss Lidia, I find your post to be more mature and easy to follow. Whatever way I came across does not really portray my nature as a human, care and a " care giver"
I am building a coop with a Pen all enclosed in nice wires. I will make the door on the coop with hard ware cloth and as per your advice will close them in the winter only. It is a good idea really to put hardware cloth to the bottom of the floor since grass will grow through it eventually. Please understand that coop/pen combo will have a roof and the entire thing will have netting around it. I do nto want to dig a trench outside so I will have to really put hardwire cloth on the floor and may be put couple of 2X4's in the floor and then the hard wire cloth.

Additionally, if I can increase colony of blue birds in my back yards when our neighbors were unsuccessful for the past 30 years, I must be a persistent well organized person to accomplish. The last year alone there were 8 of them born in my back yard and they are now brooding again.

I did not come across any other way but to state that I was not informed of all these things, and I only have these ducks for a few days. They are well fed, well cared for but today I saw raccoon sitting in their house as I fell asleep. I woke up and since the ducks would not go to the big huge Koi pond for the 10th time, and keep walking back to this small pond, I saw them staring at their house. I went out and chased these raccoons away and got my birds and put them in the there small coop for now. I also chopped up tomatoes and gave them corn and plenty of water.
My only question is now since this will be a chicken/duck combo coop, how far from the ground duck house need to be be and the top layer will be chicken coops. I know they do not like drafts.? How do they live in nature and grow since not one takes care of them?

1. Please advise, how far off the ground duck house has to be so ducks can climb!!!! So here is the bottom line what I will be doing...

1) This will be a 6ftX 8ft coop, all netted with vinyl coded galvanized wire. The top will have a roof that will have a roof matching shingles with the house.
2) The coop will be wither two or three layers and each level will have doors on it and on the door will have hardware cloth.
3) in the pen area will have a 6ft X 5 ft door made with hardware cloth and on the floor, hardware cloth will be stapled instead of digging a trench outside.
4) The entire thing is netted coop/ pen combo with galvanized wire outside with chicken wire inside. I think most will agree that I am doing the best job to project these animals?

Beside frozen peas, sliced tomatoes and lettuce and Purina duck grow, what are other treats do they like? I am assured that these ducks are so happy here that they would not have been in the wild.
I will get a raccoon cage and catch the entire raccoon population to project these beautiful creature.

 

[Koipondduck]

thanks, I think it is working after 4 days being in here I am building a Pen with a coop. Sorry, I am not familier with terminologies here.

In a duck chicken coop combo with a pen, how far the duck coop has to be be from the ground? Then can can stragger the chicken coop to the top?

Thanks

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

ducks are clutzy so keep it low to the ground for them. most dont like ramps, or at least long tall narrow ones. low wide easy to jump on works best.

if you do not clip their wings and continue to leave outside in the open they may eventually fly away never to return. it does happen, so please be aware.

you say chicken and ducks? no grass will last under chickens constant scratching, so be aware of this also.

can you state how large the coop is or will be and how large the run will be? you need to be mindful of space needs of both the ducks and chickens so they are housed in a happy enclosure.

 

[Miss Lydia]

thanks, I think it is working after 4 days being in here I am building a Pen with a coop. Sorry, I am not familier with terminologies here.

In a duck chicken coop combo with a pen, how far the duck coop has to be be from the ground? Then can can stragger the chicken coop to the top?

Thanks

If you build the coop about a foot or less off the ground and make a ramp going into the coop they will learn to use the ramp. My house is about 8" off the ground so it's really up to you, just make the ramp out of material that won't be slippery or put treads across for traction.You have to be careful with using hardware cloth or any material like it because of causing feet problems with your ducks, you'll need to put down straw or wood shaving over the hardware cloth for their protection. Ventilation is very important when keeping chickens and ducks. They will need windows it can be as simple as windows cut into the house or bought windows. and some kind of vent up at the roof line to let heat out. We bought windows from habitat for Humanity thrift store and then added hardware cloth over them for protection. The more ventilation the better. even in winter they need fresh air. I keep their windows open year round but I close the bottom half and keep the upper half open that way the wind isn't blowing right on them. Boy sounds like you have some very bold raccoons I hope you can get rid of them. The ducks we raise and keep are not the same as wild ducks, we have made them dependant on us for food safety and all that goes with tha, in other words we have domesticated them, they could not make it in the wild like their cousins the wild ones. even Mallards that have been raised by us are not the same as the wild ones,.they may look like the wild ones but haven't the same instincts So it's up to us to make sure we take care of the best of our ability. They reward us daily with their antics and just the sheer joy of watching them. I gave my ducks and chicks some fresh grapes today it was extremely hot here and tomorrow they will have some water melon plus they like meal worms and I also will steam them up some duck eggs then I crush them along with the shells and mix in s0ome thawed peas and a little water and boy do they like that. I the winter they get a head of cabbage hung up so they can eat it at leisure and also head lettuce. They don't usually eat much of the green stuff i n the summer because they free range and can have their pick of alot of green stuff. Sounds like a really nice setup your going to have for your ducks, please be sure to post pics when your through we all enjoy looking at others house and runs that have been made for waterfowl. Here is a pic of my duck/chicken house ducks on the left chicken on the right.

The ramp going into the house is about 3'wide with treads.

 

[Koipondduck]

It will be 10 foot high in the peak. 6 foot wide and 8 in length.

Yes chicken on the top and duck to the bottom coop. Is there a magic number that ducks can jump in and out of?

Thanks for your response.

 

[Koipondduck]

that is cool but mine will have mostly hardwire cloth since I will have two mandarines and two wood ducks.
Okay learned about grapes and chicken now. Miss lidea, how do I inviete you to my face book?

 

[Koipondduck]

Also, do they like live meal worms since I get them for blue birds?

 

[Koipondduck]

Also, thank you for your advise as per the height from the ground since I was kind of worried about that.

I will set that about 10 " to 12" from the ground.

 

[Koipondduck]

I posted photos of my yard and until painting of this coop and pen is not complete, i would not put pictures.